"I am sending you out like lambs into the midst of wolves."

"Go on your way. See, I am sending you out like lambs into the midst of wolves. Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals; and greet no one on the road. Whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace to this house!' And if anyone is there who shares in peace, your peace will rest on that person; but if not, it will return to you." Luke 10:3-6

We are not just hearing a call to renew the Church. We are hearing a call to further the mission of the Church. In fact - the latter is the primary call. The readings for Sunday July 11th in the Revised Common Lectionary (http://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/) have David dancing before the Ark of The Covenant and being looked down upon by the daughter of Saul...who obviously thinks he is not living up to his stature as King. Then on to Amos who is told by Amaziah : "O seer, go, flee away to the land of Judah, earn your bread there, and prophesy there; but never again prophesy at Bethel, for it is the king's sanctuary, and it is a temple of the kingdom." To which Amos replies: "I am no prophet, nor a prophet's son; but I am a herdsman, and a dresser of sycamore trees, and the LORD took me from following the flock, and the LORD said to me, 'Go, prophesy to my people Israel.'

Our purpose is not, primarily to renew the Church. Our mission is to preach, teach and BE the Good News of Jesus to a world sorely in need of hearing and seeing it. While the Church carries on the purging of any who will not conform to her arcane doctrinal/dogmatic prescriptions, closing ranks as an exclusive club for the initiated "true believers" and telling the rest of us to go away, we must be about carrying on the the mission of the Church.

If we have any hope of "renewing" The Roman Catholic Church it will come only by carrying out her primary mission...with or without the blessing and/or approval of the Vatican. We are being called to dance before the "Ark of The Lord" like a bunch of crazy hippies (David danced in his underwear...not sure many of us could pull that off). We are not the upper crust of the ecclesiastical world...many of us are the modern equivalent of a herdsmen and the dressers of sycamore trees...but we are still being called to prophesy to the People of God. The fact that we are of no real consequence in the hierarchical "pecking order" gives us a freedom of action that those maintaining a sense of "ecclesiastical dignity" can only dream of.

"One does not need buildings, money, power, or status to practice the Art of Peace. Heaven is right where you are standing, and that is the place to train." Morihei Ueshiba (O Sensei)

"Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary use words." Francis of Assisi

Much Love...Mitakuye Oyasin!
Michael F. Iott
Society Of Blessed John XXIII